Placing three times at the California State Championships, CA-USA Triple Crown champion, ranked in the top 20 for the class of 2019, 6X USA wrestling All-American, Folkstyle national champion, USA Wrestling Greco Roman silver and bronze medalist, a member of the Olympic development team and an offer to join the team at Stanford University. These are just some of the achievements Dawson Sihavong had racked up before graduating from high school in Fresno, CA.   Dawson’s journey to the top of the wrestling world didn’t come quickly.  In fact, it has been two generations in the making.

 

Dawson’s father, Nara, was born in Vientiane, Laos, and immigrated to the USA in 1978 as a refugee. He first landed in Hawaii and later attended high school in Falls Church, VA, where he graduated from JEB Stuart (now Justice) High School in 1985.  Nara went on to wrestle at George Mason University (1985-1989) making him the first known Lao-America to compete at the NCAA Division I level in any sport. Nara's younger brother, Narin, wrestled at Gettysburg College from 1988-1992.

 

Nara's wrestling career didn't end on the mat at George Mason.  "I began coaching high school in my senior year at George Mason in 1989 and continued to coach until today," said Nara.  Nara would go on to coach at schools in Virginia, Hawaii, and California while passing his love of the sport and skills onto his some Dawson,

 

Dawson attended the Phillip Patino School of Entrepreneurship in Fresno while wrestling for Bullard High School in his home town of Clovis.  He quickly rose to the top of the high school wrestling world racking up a long list of accolades. 

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•    2017 FOLKSTYLE NATIONAL CHAMPION
•    6X USA WRESTLING NATL ALL-AMERICAN
•    CA-USA WRESTLING TRIPLE CROWN CHAMPION
•    USAW WESTERN REGIONALS TRIPLE CROWN CHAMPION
•    3X CA-USA WRESTLING CHAMPION
•    6X WESTERN REGIONALS CHAMPION
•    3X CALIFORNIA STATE PLACER (6TH, 4TH, 3RD)
•    USA OLYMPIC TEAM DEVELOPMENT MEMBER
 

Dawson was heavily recruited by NCAA DI level schools including Stanford, Cal Poly, the University of Pennsylvania, the Naval Academy, Iowa State, Cornell, Brown and Duke.  He settled on Stanford University and joined the Cardinals in 2019 as part of the class of 2023.  Dawson represented Laos at the 2023 SEA Games in Cambodia and 2023 Asian Games in China.  He won a bronze medal in Greco-Roman and Silver medal in Freestyle at the SEA Games. 

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